Number of Stretches

Drivers, start your engines.

For most people reading this post, knowing that I’m a huge NASCAR fan is no big surprise.

For those that don’t know…we’ll I’m a huge NASCAR fan and have been since I was a kid.

Well, this past weekend, the NASCAR series rolled into Richmond International Raceway and I was assigned to cover a few stories out at RIR on Friday.

I was speechless when I heard I was getting to go.

It was an absolutely amazing experience. I got to the track and went into the pedestrian tunnel, which goes underneath the track and into the infield, someplace I had never been at a NASCAR track. I was walking around and eventually made it to the infield media center and sat down at a station. There was a ton of media there, including people from ESPN, NASCAR Illustrated and other major media outlets. So I’m sitting there and Carl Edwards walks right by my chair and up to the table where his interview would occur.

The interview started and I got to ask him a question, which was awesome. After that, I went out into the area where all the fan experience and entertainment is, as well as the merchandise haulers were. My task was to find 6 diverse people and ask them a simple question: Who do you think will win the Sprint Cup race and why? I talked to 7 people total, but 1 didn’t want his picture taken so I couldn’t use that answer. After getting those taken care of, I made my way up to the press box, which was fantastic. I watched the Sprint Cup qualifying from up there, taking plenty of pictures and writing my three stories. I then got to sit back and enjoy the Nationwide race and left before the traffic was too bad.

The smile never left my face.

All in all it was a great experience that I can’t wait to get back to and have a larger role in.